2-Year-Old Boy Has Weight-Loss Surgery

Toddler's stomach is now the size of a banana

(Newser)
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Babies are known to be a bit chubby, but how about morbidly obese? A Saudi Arabian toddler is now the youngest bariatric surgery patient on record after undergoing a stomach staple at just two-and-a-half years old; he weighed in at 73 pounds at the time, Australia's News Network reports. At 14 months, the boy weighed about 47 pounds, and attempts to keep his weight under control proved futile (doctors note they are uncertain whether the child's parents stuck to the strict diet); just four months later his weight had jumped to 65 pounds, and he was suffering from sleep apnea and bowing of the legs. Surgeons then decided to turn to an irreversible surgery in which they removed the outer part of the boy's stomach in April 2010, they write in a report published in the International Journal of Surgery Case Reports.

What remained was a small portion of stomach about the size and shape of a banana. The boy lost 15% of his body weight just two months after the surgery; he weighed around 53 pounds at age four and had a Body Mass Index in the normal range (see before and after photos here). One obesity expert calls it a "shocking" case, and notes that the surgery may result in vitamin deficiencies later on. Bizarrely, it's the second such case to make the news in the last week; the Khaleej Times reports a 4-year-old boy also recently underwent bariatric surgery. (More tough news about kids' health: One in 10 kids has a liver like an alcoholic's.)

If their is no actual health problem causing the child to gain weight uncontrollably other than eating, then I must say shame on the parent.

chulupadog

Sep 21, 2013 10:41 AM CDT

Eat less, exercise more!

BCS

Sep 20, 2013 5:40 PM CDT

If it's an issue with his metabolism, then the surgery won't help because he's diet has already been limited with no success, and if it's and issue with over eating, then feed him less.
It's one or the other and I don't see how surgery could be helpful in this situation.

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